Total Gym Elite Vs. Total Gym XL

FitnessQuest makes the Total Gym Elite and the Total Gym XL, two fitness machines that operate according to the same basic mechanism. Rather than utilizing large weight plates or rod resistance technology, the Total Gym Elite and XL use the cable and pulley stem to allow exercisers to lift a percentage of their own body weight. Resistance can be increased or decreased by adjusting the incline of the platform, and the exercises are extremely low-impact as the platform glides fluidly back and forth on the machine. The Total Gym Elite and the Total Gym XL have some technical differences.

Dimensions

The Total Gym Elite and the Total Gym XL are both 84 inches deep, 40 inches wide and 83 inches high.

Weight Restrictions

While the Total Gym Elite can accommodate a user of up to 275 pounds, the Total Gym XL can support a user weight of up to 400 pounds. This has a lot to do with the overall structural integrity of the machines. The Total Gym XL, unlike the Elite, has a solid steel frame. This makes the XL more ideal for larger, heavier athletes such as football players or heavyweight boxers.

Features

In addition to the exercise machine itself, the Total Gym Elite comes with a number of features. These include an exercise chart, an instruction manual and nutrition a guide, an instructional video, a foam-gripped flexibility bar, an exercise mat, a set of dip bars and an hourglass-shaped glide board or platform. The Total Gym XL expands on these features, and includes a longer, wider glide board with extra padding and head support, a pair of ankle cuffs, an additional workout video, a water bottle holder, a platform for squats and enhanced chrome detailing.

Exercises

The Total Gym Elite promises 50 to 60 different exercises that can be performed, ranging from curls and lateral pull downs to bench presses and abs exercises.
There are six levels of resistance with the Elite, which start sat 4 percent of the user's bodyweight and maxs out at 60 percent. The Total Gym XL promises more than 60 exercises, and has a resistance range of 10 percent to 50 percent of the user's bodyweight.

Assembly

While the Total Gym Elite requires some minor assembly, the Total Gym XL comes fully assembled and can be used as soon as it is taken out of the box.

Price

The Total Gym Elite is priced around $325, which is considerably cheaper than the Total Gym XL, which sells for between $1,400 and $1900. There is also a newly developed motorized version of the XL, which can be as expensive as $2,400.